A Static Lullaby Are Re-Recording Their Debut Album Live in the Studio

A Static Lullaby just did something that's going to hit a very specific nerve for anyone who grew up in the mid-2000s post-hardcore scene. The Chino Hills band went into Straitjacket Studios in Fullerton, CA, set up, and played their entire 2003 debut …And Don't Forget To Breathe front to back, live. No overdubs, no studio tricks. Just the record, performed in full, 25 years after the band first got together.

The result is …And Don't Forget To Breathe (Live), dropping May 15th via Smartpunk Records. You can pre-order it now.

25 Years of A Static Lullaby

For those who need a refresher, A Static Lullaby formed in Chino Hills, California back in 2001. The original lineup came together after a high school jam session, and it didn't take long for things to start moving. They signed to Ferret Records and dropped …And Don't Forget To Breathe in early 2003. That record put them on the map. Alternative Press compared them to Thursday but noted they brought "much more brutal vocals" to the table. That's a fair read.

After the debut, the band spent 18 months straight on the road. They toured with AFI, My Chemical Romance, Underoath, Brand New, and The Used. They signed to Columbia Records for their sophomore effort Faso Latido in 2005, then moved to Fearless Records for their 2006 self-titled album, and put out Rattlesnake! in 2008. The band officially called it quits in early 2012, playing their final show in Indonesia that July.

The Comeback

I'll be real, the reunion arc for this band has been a slow burn, and that's made it feel more genuine. They came back for a handful of California shows in early 2016, playing …And Don't Forget To Breathe in full, including a homecoming at The Glasshouse in February of that year. Then they popped up again at the 2024 California is for Lovers Festival. By August 2025, they were selling out The Observatory in Orange County. What started as a one-off turned into something real.

The current lineup features Joe Brown on vocals, Dan Arnold on rhythm guitar and vocals, Nick Jones on lead guitar, Kyler Gillman on bass, and Kris Comeaux on drums. It's not the exact original roster, but the core is there and the energy clearly hasn't faded.

What the Live Album Actually Is

This isn't a remaster. It's not a remix. The band literally set up in Straitjacket Studios and ran through the entire album, all ten tracks, live. Nightmares Win 6-0 through Charred Fields of Snow. Filmed and recorded. If you missed the full-album shows they played over the past couple years, this is your way in.

The band said it best themselves: "We're grown-ass men playing songs we wrote when we were 18, and somehow they still feel fresh and just as relevant today." Honestly, that's the whole vibe. These songs helped define the post-hardcore and emo sound that eventually went mainstream, and hearing them delivered with 25 years of road experience behind them is a different beast entirely.

They've already dropped the first visual from the session. The live performance of The Shooting Star That Destroyed Us is out now and it sounds massive.

What's Next

The live album drops May 15th, which also happens to be the same day they have a confirmed show at Gilley's Dallas in Dallas, TX. That's probably not a coincidence. If you're in the area, that's the one to hit. You can track their upcoming dates on Bandsintown.

It's also worth noting that the debut album got its first-ever vinyl pressing in December 2025 through Smartpunk, and their self-titled third album got its first vinyl pressing via Enjoy The Ride Records back in June 2025. The band is clearly making sure their catalog is taken care of while this momentum is building.

And then there's the tease. The band's statement closed with: "We're genuinely excited to share what's coming next." That reads like new music is on the way. Nothing's been confirmed, but if the live album is the reintroduction, whatever follows could be the real headline.

If you grew up screaming along to Lipgloss and Letdown or Withered in your car, go pre-order this thing. Don't sleep on it.

Cover photo courtesy of Ticketmaster